Dáil debates
Tuesday, 14 May 2019
Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions
Brexit Preparations
6:00 pm
Niamh Smyth (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source
The Minister knows that many of our agrifood and agricultural sectors have been feeling the repercussions in Cavan-Monaghan almost from the day of the announcement of the Brexit referendum result. The mushroom industry was very badly affected in the Cavan-Monaghan area.
The Minister mentioned the €300 million in the Brexit small and medium enterprise working capital loan scheme. That would be wonderful but as the Minister alluded to, the drawdown is only approximately 10% of the total fund if we go on the figures released. In other words, only one in five applications is being sanctioned for finance. I reiterate the point about Cavan-Monaghan. Will the Minister drill down into the detail in terms of the number of applications being made and the success rate for firms in Cavan-Monaghan? Why has uptake, at 10% of the fund total, been so abysmal?
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